DVD Movie Rating for: King Arthur

King Arthur

Movie Plot of: King Arthur

For centuries most historians believed that King Arthur was only a legend, but that legend was based on a real hero whose actions changed the face of Britain and the world forever.

Like his loyal Knights, Arthur (Clive Owen) sees only chaos and devastation will follow Rome's final pullout of Britain. Although as a dedicated Christian he is desperate to return to Rome to influence the budding religion, his first loyalty is to his pagan Knights. Arthur sees his duty is to free them from their servitude to Rome so they may return to their ancestral homeland in Sarmatia.

However, before he can, he must lead his Knights of the Round Table on one last mission, deep into enemy territory on a quest of adventure and profound enlightenment. Here, Arthur, Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd), Galahad (Hugh Dancy), Bors (Ray Winstone), Tristan, Dagonet and Gawain are forced to confront their traditional enemy: Merlin and his indigenous guerilla armies. Disdainfully called 'Woads' by the Knights for the Woad plant they use to dye their bodies, Arthur and his Knights will see these guerillas are the soul of Britain, devastated by generations of Roman rule. Now, with Rome gone, and without the help of Arthur and his knights, the invading Saxons will roll over the people like an avalanche.

Under the guidance of former enemy Merlin (Stephen Dillane) and the beautiful, courageous Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Arthur will struggle to find the strength to forsake his dreams of Rome to 'become a leader in this land,' and to change the face of history.

DVD Production Details of: King Arthur

Starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley
Director: Antoine Fuqua

Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video
DVD Release Date: December 21, 2004
Run Time: 138

DVD Easter Eggs

Available subtitles: Spanish, French
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French
Commentary by director Antoine Fuqua
New extended edition with 15 minutes of added footage
Alternate Ending with commentary (4 mins.)
"Blood On The Land: Forging King Arthur" making-of-the-epic featurette (18 mins.)
Round Table Video Commentary with cast and filmmakers (16 mins.)
"Knight Vision" pop-up trivia viewing mode
King Arthur Xbox playable video game demo
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's personal photo gallery

Cast of the movie: King Arthur

• Clive Owen .... Arthur
• Ioan Gruffudd .... Lancelot
• Mads Mikkelsen .... Tristan
• Joel Edgerton .... Gawain
• Hugh Dancy .... Galahad
• Ray Winstone .... Bors
• Ray Stevenson .... Dagonet
• Keira Knightley .... Guinevere
• Stephen Dillane .... Merlin
• Stellan Skarsgård .... Cerdic
• Til Schweiger .... Cynric
• Sean Gilder .... Jols
• Pat Kinevane .... Horton
• Ivano Marescotti .... Bishop Germanius
• Ken Stott .... Marcus Honorius
• Lorenzo De Angelis .... Alecto
• Stefania Orsola Garello .... Fulcinia
• Alan Devine .... British Scout
• Charlie Creed-Miles .... Ganis
• Johnny Brennan .... Lucan
• David Murray .... Merlin's Lieutenant
• Ned Dennehy .... Mental Monk
• Phelim Drew .... Obnoxious Monk
• Des Braiden .... Third Monk
• Malachy McKenna .... Cerdic's Scout
• Brian McGuinness .... Cerdic Officer
• Patrick Leech .... Cerdic Officer
• Bosco Hogan .... Bishop Decoy
• David Wilmot .... Woad Killed By Lancelot
• Lochlainn O'Mearain .... Roman Commander (as Lochlann O'Mearain)
• Paul McGlinchey .... Mercenary
• Dessie Gallagher .... Mercenary
• Maria Gladkowska .... Arthur's Mother
• Shane Murray-Corcoran .... Young Arthur
• Daire McCormack .... Agustus
• Dawn Bradfield .... Vanora
• Lesley Ann Shaw .... Scottish Village Girl (as Lesley-Ann Shaw)
• Joe McKinney .... Mangled Saxon
• Gerry O'Brien .... Woad Advisor
• Brian Condon .... Cerdic Bodyguard
• Donncha Crowley .... Monk
• Chick Allen .... Saxon
• Elliot Henderson-Boyle .... Young Lancelot
• Clive Russell .... Lancelot's Father
• Stephanie Putson .... Lancelot's Mother
• Graham McTavish .... Roman Officer

Photo Gallery of the movie: King Arthur

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size high quality photos, posters and wallpapers of King Arthur with Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Keira Knightley (2004)

King Arthur Keira Knightley Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery King Arthur with Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Keira Knightley (2004)

Reviews of the movie: King Arthur

It's got a round table, some knights, and a noble warrior who rises to become King Arthur, but everything else about this revisionist legend is pure Hollywood. That's not such a bad thing if you enjoyed Rob Roy, Braveheart, Gladiator, and Troy, and there's some intriguing potential in presenting the "real" Arthur (played by Clive Owen) as a 5th-century soldier of Rome, assigned to defend Roman-imperial England against a hoard of invading Saxons (led by Stellan Skarsgård in hairy villain mode). As revamped history and "archaeological findings" would have us believe, Guinevere (Keira Knightley) is a warrior babe in face-paint and Lancelot (Ioan Gruffudd) is a nonentity who fades into the woodwork. Never mind! Best to enjoy the harsh, gloomy atmosphere of Irish locations, the ruggedness of Owen and his hearty supporting cast, and the entertaining nonsense of a Jerry Bruckheimer production that strips battle-ready Guinevere down to leather-strap S&M gear while all the men sport full-body armor. Hail to the queen, indeed

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From Brad Pitt in Troy to Clive Owen in des-Troy?! In his effort to demystify the legend of King Arthur and the Round Table, director Antoine Fuqua simply turns Troy into an erect tree with his faithful colleagues serving as branches in the burlesque.

What could have prompted a studio as immense as Touchstone Pictures who thrive on making blithe family films, to go so dreadfully medieval? King Arthur is like Troy without the aura of glamour and mystique.

Sure, the war scenes shot with hundreds and thousands of junior artistes shooting fiery arrows in the sky that fall to the ground in combustive splendour, are done with a zest for the epic that Cecil de Mille would have approved of.

But the sabre-rattling 'Braveheart -meets -Gladiator -meets- Troy -meets -nemesis' presentation never goes beyond a half-baked homage to all the spectacular period epics from Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus in 1960 to all the costume dramas that have come and groaned in the last two years in an effort to revive the grandeur of the eras gone-by.

Arguably King Arthur is the most impotent period film in recent times. The conflicts between Arthur's band of swordsmen and the Roman empire is reduced to a one-on-one between Good and Evil. There's no effort whatsoever to explore the grey region even on a surface level.

Everyone is either busy being noble or scummy. Where's the middle ground? The characters are all heroes and villains. This makes it easier for the screenwriter David Franzoni (who co-scripted Gladiator)to fill the spaces in the frames with a blizzard of sound and fury signifying nothings.

The Romans are all demented or devious. Arthur's men are at the most, raunchy. One of his faithful companions keeps talking about his banana, and he doesn't mean the kind that can be made into a split.

When the film opens Arthur's men are sent off on one last mission by the Roman villains to rescue a priest from the villainous marauders. Predictably Arthur rescues Guinevere (Keira Knightley) whose broken fingers he mends. Keira Knightley then proceeds to dart saucy looks at him from her cart while he rides by next to her.

If this was a Hindi film she would break into a song. Given Hollywood's sober and matter-of-fact parameters of romance the two are shown pulling off each other's clothes and panting with the urgency of porn stars who must pack it in before the sun sets.

The trouble with this medieval mess is its twisted vision of territorial anarchy. In his effort to contemporize the Arthurian legend, director Fuqua turns the epic on its head. The villain (Stellan Skarsgard) resembles an aging rock star, while the hero is so unobtrusive as to seem like a junior artiste who's standing in for the leading man who's making out in the makeup room.

The hand that wields the camera never stops flashing on screen. The flamboyant fights are staged to woo and win audiences who have grown up playing video games in the neighbourhood parlour. The combat on thin ice with the fighters going under is lavish enough to render the characters into parodic puppets of a pyrotechnical province.

Hans Zimmer's overpowering music saturates the soundtrack. There's no effort to follow the characters' hearts as they fight for country honour and self identity. Instead they all seem to be heading towards a nemesis that signifies the end of the road for all costume dramas.

Brad Pitt in skirts appealed to the ladies. Clive Owen in the same? What a shame! As for Keira Knightley battling it out with the men on the battle field...Kareena Kapoor did it better in Asoka.

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 Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Black Hawk Down, Armageddon) adds his brand of dhoom to the legend to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

 Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), the film offers a perspective on Arthur's (Clive Owen, Gosford Park) journey as he overcomes professional adversities and personal conflict to become a king.

 Lucius Artorius Castus, half-British, half-Roman by birth and a complete Roman by allegiance, is posted to England, accompanied by his super-skilled Knights - Lancelot, Galahad, Bors, Tristan and Gawain.

 The film tracks these Knights of the Round Table as they are assigned one last dangerous mission before being granted freedom to return to their homes.

 Arthur and his Knights must rescue a family from the invading Saxons.

 A strong camaraderie exists between these men that is solidified when they realise the futility of the cause they have been shedding blood for.

 Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean) plays Arthur's love interest Guinevere.

 Fortunately Keira Knightley is not 'pout' of order and stays close to her feisty character. There is something endearing about her as a fighting machine in face paint and faux S&M gear.

 With vast battle scenes and plenty of blood and gore, the sense of savagery of the time is well depicted, and the characters are well etched out, although Galahad's and Lancelot's celebrated status does not come through.

 As is often the tendency with big studio interpretations of historic events, little attention is paid to the details - like the accents.

 So the audience has to adjust to and not be distracted by mismatch between actors and the nationality of the characters they play.

 All in all, even if it's not as epic as other historic films, King Arthur serves up an entertaining platter.